* it expects you to work 80 hours per week* it expects you to only spend $20/month on health insurance* the car payment and insurance are absurdly low as well* it does not budget for food, usually the biggest single expense* it does not budget for things like cell phones, that everyone has

Gosh.. That's pretty much what I did when I was starting out on my career. 80 hour work weeks are good for the character. Except for a few months I turned off my electricity and gas entirely to save up for my first house. Who needs electricity when you're working all the time? It's just a place to lay a head until the next work day. I lived in a slum.. a $300 a month one room apartment. I didn't have a car payment as I had saved up enough working at Chuck E Cheese when I was 16-17 to buy a decent Toyota that lasted me until I was 22 or so.

For people who expect shiat to land on their lap then yes.. this would be a terrible budget. For a person who wore the same pair of jeans / shoes / shirts for 4 or 5 years while I was bootstrapping this is a completely logical and well thought out budget.

* it expects you to work 80 hours per week* it expects you to only spend $20/month on health insurance* the car payment and insurance are absurdly low as well* it does not budget for food, usually the biggest single expense* it does not budget for things like cell phones, that everyone has

How cute that it thinks folks who are struggling to make ends meet will have $800 to kick around during the month.

* it expects you to work 80 hours per week* it expects you to only spend $20/month on health insurance* the car payment and insurance are absurdly low as well* it does not budget for food, usually the biggest single expense* it does not budget for things like cell phones, that everyone has

How cute that it thinks folks who are struggling to make ends meet will have $800 to kick around during the month.

And that they will never get tired, sick, have the car break, or have any other emergency expenses.

Why do I suspect that the person who made this budget makes $50k+, gets paid vacation, and doesn't even think about working 80 hours a week?

xynix:Gosh.. That's pretty much what I did when I was starting out on my career. 80 hour work weeks are good for the character. Except for a few months I turned off my electricity and gas entirely to save up for my first house. Who needs electricity when you're working all the time? It's just a place to lay a head until the next work day. I lived in a slum.. a $300 a month one room apartment. I didn't have a car payment as I had saved up enough working at Chuck E Cheese when I was 16-17 to buy a decent Toyota that lasted me until I was 22 or so.

For people who expect shiat to land on their lap then yes.. this would be a terrible budget. For a person who wore the same pair of jeans / shoes / shirts for 4 or 5 years while I was bootstrapping this is a completely logical and well thought out budget.

Were you living at home with mom and Dad when you worked at Chucky Cheese? I mean you were only 16.

Do you realize how lucky you were that nothing went wrong during that time period? That you didn't lose your job or had a horrible accident that prevented you from working. That the economy was in the tank so were it's difficult to get two jobs? Or that the company you work for folded?

Or the fact that being white probably helped out?

People take risk and try things and more time than not, it doesn't work out.

* it expects you to work 80 hours per week* it expects you to only spend $20/month on health insurance* the car payment and insurance are absurdly low as well* it does not budget for food, usually the biggest single expense* it does not budget for things like cell phones, that everyone has

And it also doesn't budget for shoes and clothing, laundry costs, gasoline, vehicle maintenance, medications, toiletries, and toilet paper.

* it expects you to work 80 hours per week* it expects you to only spend $20/month on health insurance* the car payment and insurance are absurdly low as well* it does not budget for food, usually the biggest single expense* it does not budget for things like cell phones, that everyone has

And it also doesn't budget for shoes and clothing, laundry costs, gasoline, vehicle maintenance, medications, toiletries, and toilet paper.

Health insurance? My family was in that middle ground...too "rich" for financial aid, too poor to actually send me to a university. So they stopped claiming me on their taxes, which eventually led to me being able to apply for financial aid without their income. But this booted me off their health insurance. I went a 7 years (5 undergrad (shut up), 2 grad) without it. Bfd. Get sick? Drink juice. It's called making sacrifices in order to better yourself. Could something terrible have happened? Of course. But the odds were against it.

It's also worth pointing out that "work a second job" in and of itself is become more of a pipedream. According to Labor Dept. numbers, we have record numbers in part-time jobs, but the number of people working more than one job is actually going down.

That is because larger employers are using the same basic computer models that give you 'just in time' supplies to schedule working hours. "We need you 3 hours Monday, 7 on Tuesday, 6 on Thursday, 7 on Saturday... but next week will be totally different". Making working a second job (and finding child care, etc) farking impossible.

Welcome to America. Where if you're not working yourself to the bone and barely making ends meet, and teetering on the edge of catastrophe if god forbid you get into an accident or get sick, you're just not trying hard enough, citizen!

* it expects you to work 80 hours per week* it expects you to only spend $20/month on health insurance* the car payment and insurance are absurdly low as well* it does not budget for food, usually the biggest single expense* it does not budget for things like cell phones, that everyone has

How cute that it thinks folks who are struggling to make ends meet will have $800 to kick around during the month.

And that they will never get tired, sick, have the car break, or have any other emergency expenses.

Why do I suspect that the person who made this budget makes $50k+, gets paid vacation, and doesn't even think about working 80 hours a week?

You don't budget for sick, tired, emergencies. Well you do, but that stuff is covered under savings.

You could have a separate line item for it, but if you are working two McJobs they are likely the same thing.

when poverty level was first defined by a study of the slums of england. It was a popular belief that the poor were poor because they were stupid and wasted their money on alcohol and frivolity. The study later found that the populace was paid way below even the minimum to survive. It found that a single sickness would leave a person homeless or in debtors prison. Children were forced out of school and into unsafe jobs and whole families toiled away to remain below poverty level.

WEll, thank you so very much McDonalds....in your riteous arrogant "benevolent" randian personal responsibility act you went a proved the point of the left. You assholes just went and demonstrated that you don't pay your workers enough and that the minimum wage is bollox. Suck my fat c*** you fools, every last one of you.

whistleridge * * Smartest * Funniest 2013-07-15 05:39:28 PM Said budget: Highlights: * it expects you to work 80 hours per week * it expects you to only spend $20/month on health insurance * the car payment and insurance are absurdly low as well * it does not budget for food, usually the biggest single expense * it does not budget for things like cell phones, that everyone has===============================================================

Actually, it's quite accurate.

A) If heating/gas is 0 that means it's an apartment, so 90 for electric is absurdly high unless you live in a desert. I usually hit 90 only in July and only because my apartment faces west and has horrendously thin windows. Usually I average $25-30.

B) Car insurance at $100 a month is absurdly low? WTF car insurance do you have? Mine is $250 for 6 months.

D) Get on your parents cell phone plan (or a good friend if parents are not an option). I pay them $10/month (I don't carry data plan). No sense buying a $100 plan for yourself.

E) Food needs to be represented only if it's not free to eat during your shift at McD's, which I certainly hope it is. If it is and you work 40 hours a week... that's... virtually every meal which is why it's not represented here.

F) If you work 40 hours a week, you get health insurance from your company, hence why it's listed at $20/month. My health insurance is roughly that as I get it through work. Course, that's only for ME. It is quite low if it's for a family.

Car payment is about right too... if you work at mcd's... don't buy a car with a $300/month payment. If you do, you're an idiot. $150-$200 sounds just fine.

jake3988:E) Food needs to be represented only if it's not free to eat during your shift at McD's, which I certainly hope it is. If it is and you work 40 hours a week... that's... virtually every meal which is why it's not represented here.

Mostly decent advice, but when I worked food service (a long time ago) you got on meal at half price per shift worked. That was fairly standard (all the soda you wanted if you used your own cup).

If the listed budget were my budget I would say screw the second job and get on SNAP, I am pretty sure that income would qualify. Back in the day I had to get three part time jobs to get to 50 hours. Babbages, Blockbuster and a sandwich shop.

jake3988:whistleridge * * Smartest * Funniest 2013-07-15 05:39:28 PM Said budget: Highlights: * it expects you to work 80 hours per week * it expects you to only spend $20/month on health insurance * the car payment and insurance are absurdly low as well * it does not budget for food, usually the biggest single expense * it does not budget for things like cell phones, that everyone has===============================================================

Actually, it's quite accurate.

A) If heating/gas is 0 that means it's an apartment, so 90 for electric is absurdly high unless you live in a desert. I usually hit 90 only in July and only because my apartment faces west and has horrendously thin windows. Usually I average $25-30.

I've rented my whole adult life, and only one place (student family housing) covered the heat/gas bill. Everywhere else was individually metered. Where do you live that the landlord pays the gas bill?

whistleridge:* it does not budget for things like cell phones, that everyone has

Doesn't budget for a landline either, which where I live is about $40 a month minimum.So the deal is: stay single, don't have kids, don't go out, don't get any new clothes or shoes, work 80 hours a week at two jobs using a car that only costs $150 a month which doesn't need gasoline, insurance, registration or maintenance - ever, and maybe you won't need so much food if the shift manager is nice and lets you take the leftovers with you.

jake3988:E) Food needs to be represented only if it's not free to eat during your shift at McD's, which I certainly hope it is. If it is and you work 40 hours a week... that's... virtually every meal which is why it's not represented here.

That's...probably going to kill you by age 40 if you do it for too long.

jake3988:whistleridge * * Smartest * Funniest 2013-07-15 05:39:28 PM Said budget: Highlights: * it expects you to work 80 hours per week * it expects you to only spend $20/month on health insurance * the car payment and insurance are absurdly low as well * it does not budget for food, usually the biggest single expense * it does not budget for things like cell phones, that everyone has===============================================================

Actually, it's quite accurate.

A) If heating/gas is 0 that means it's an apartment, so 90 for electric is absurdly high unless you live in a desert. I usually hit 90 only in July and only because my apartment faces west and has horrendously thin windows. Usually I average $25-30.

B) Car insurance at $100 a month is absurdly low? WTF car insurance do you have? Mine is $250 for 6 months.

D) Get on your parents cell phone plan (or a good friend if parents are not an option). I pay them $10/month (I don't carry data plan). No sense buying a $100 plan for yourself.

E) Food needs to be represented only if it's not free to eat during your shift at McD's, which I certainly hope it is. If it is and you work 40 hours a week... that's... virtually every meal which is why it's not represented here.

F) If you work 40 hours a week, you get health insurance from your company, hence why it's listed at $20/month. My health insurance is roughly that as I get it through work. Course, that's only for ME. It is quite low if it's for a family.

Car payment is about right too... if you work at mcd's... don't buy a car with a $300/month payment. If you do, you're an idiot. $150-$200 sounds just fine.

You can't afford a wife/girlfriend/husband/boyfriendYou don't need cable. Or Netflix. Or the internet. Those are luxuries. Use rabbit ears for TvYou don't need a phone. People have done without phones for centuries. If you absolutely have to have a phone for emergencies then get a pre-paid with limited minutes . Virgin Mobile $20 a quarter.You don't need a car of your own, either use public transportation or go in with other people and share a car you can use to go to work.You should be sharing the housing/power/water with as many other people as you can manage

And you should be using your free time to gain a skill that allows you to get a better job.

its a ridiculous budget.. but to be fair, i think its intended as an example of what a budget might look like, not instructions on what a person's budget should actually be. And.. and much as we all know Mickie Ds is horrible capitalist behemouth, my first job ages ago was a couple years flipping burgers at a McDonalds it was a good job, learned some things, met some good friends and had some spending money. Its not so bad. that budget looks more like something realistic from back then though than it does something from now.

Waldo Pepper:xynix: Gosh.. That's pretty much what I did when I was starting out on my career. 80 hour work weeks are good for the character. Except for a few months I turned off my electricity and gas entirely to save up for my first house. Who needs electricity when you're working all the time? It's just a place to lay a head until the next work day. I lived in a slum.. a $300 a month one room apartment. I didn't have a car payment as I had saved up enough working at Chuck E Cheese when I was 16-17 to buy a decent Toyota that lasted me until I was 22 or so.

For people who expect shiat to land on their lap then yes.. this would be a terrible budget. For a person who wore the same pair of jeans / shoes / shirts for 4 or 5 years while I was bootstrapping this is a completely logical and well thought out budget.

5 years in the same pair of shoes, doubtful you did much standing or walking in said shoes.

He is either lying or he "thinks" he actually did this. You see these types all of the time, the type that in their own mind thought they had everything as hard as the real working poor, but if you actually drill down to it you will find out they weren't anywhere near working for minimum wage or if they were, they had all types of financial help from family.

buzzcut73:I've rented my whole adult life, and only one place (student family housing) covered the heat/gas bill. Everywhere else was individually metered. Where do you live that the landlord pays the gas bill?

Everywhere I rented in Vancouver, BC was that way. The apartment buildings had a central boiler for heat + hot water so only electricity was individually metered.

ongbok:He is either lying or he "thinks" he actually did this. You see these types all of the time, the type that in their own mind thought they had everything as hard as the real working poor, but if you actually drill down to it you will find out they weren't anywhere near working for minimum wage or if they were, they had all types of financial help from family.

Could be wrong, but I think he flips houses, or at least rents them out, and was in another thread a while back chastising the people who wanted inexpensive houses for not having a spare $100K lying around to snap them up at auction.

CujoQuarrel:Why would you pay $600 to live in a shiathole? Move to someplace where the housing is cheaper. Try small to mid sized cities.

Strange thing about conventional physics... matter can't be in two places at once.

- Are there fast food joints in more expensive places to live? YES- Do those fast food places need people to work in them? YES- Do those people who work in the fast food places in the more expensive places need somewhere to live? YES

So where do you suggest they live? They can't be in the place where housing is cheaper if the job is where the housing is more expensive. What do? What do?

Meh. My job as a high school math teacher in Oklahoma only netted me about $2200 per month. I was taking care of wife/kid/mortgage with that.

No medicaid/food stamps, of course-- the state considered us far too wealthy.

I got by, but not very well:

-- no health insurance for the wife. Kid and I got healthcare through indian tribe.-- Car I was making payments on got repoed.-- Very little savings for when shiat came up.-- life in general sucked because we were always so close to broke.

The wife could have got a job but she's having more and more health problems in the past year and just about her entire pay would have gone to child care.

I'm back writing software at over double the pay (and less than 1/10th the stress.) I couldn't go on teaching-- I simply couldn't AFFORD to.

I probably would have been OK if I was single, but it would suck, and it would really only be doable because Oklahoma has a damn cheap cost of living.

Sergeant Grumbles:Of course. All the free time 80 hours of work a week will allow you. Who needs sleep anyway? That's just time wasted being eaten by the bed bugs into $600 shiathole. It's impossible to sleep when you're being eaten alive by bedbugs anyway.

FTFY.

/I beat the bedbugs, but it took me a year, I had to throw away most of what I owned and move across town, and I will never be able to convince myself it's worth the money to buy a decent bed again.